Politics

E-levy: If we had proceeded with voting, Majority would have been 137 against 136 Minority – Ayariga

Published

4 years ago

March 30, 2022

Vida Essel-Lamptey

E-levy: If we had proceeded with voting, Majority would have been 137 against 136 Minority – Ayariga

Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga has explained the Minority walked out of Parliament on Tuesday during the passage of the government e-levy because the majority would have had the upper hand during voting.

Speaking on Sunrise on 3FM on Wednesday, March 30, he said the minority will have been down by a member.

“Technically speaking, the minority would have been 136 as of the time we were to vote. If we had proceeded with the voting process the majority would have been 137 as against 136 with the minority,” Mahama Ayariga said.

Minority walks out of Parliament again

The Minority in Parliament on Tuesday, March 29, walked out of Parliament during the passage of the government proposed electronic transaction levy (e-levy).

The Minority walked out after the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu indicated the opposition MPs remain united against the levy which have been widely criticized by Ghanaians.

“E-levy is the nuisance of nuisance tax,” he said, adding that “businesses are suffering under your watch. We are united that we will not support E-levy, we will not vote for E-levy,” Mr Iddrisu said on the floor of Parliament.

Ghana’s Parliament pass e-levy

The 1.5% levy seeking to tax electronic transactions including mobile money transfers above ₵100 and applicable to senders only was subsequently approved by Parliament after the third reading.

Expected to generate some ₵6.billion, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Ken Offori-Atta said the tax will help widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector into the country tax system.

“After considerable deliberations, the government has decided to place a levy on all electronic transactions to widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector. This shall be known as the “Electronic Transaction Levy or E-Levy”, Mr Ofori-Atta told Parliament.

However, since the announcement many Ghanaians, including the Minority group in Parliament have vehemently kicked against the tax.

Two physical fights have been recorded in Parliament all because of the e-levy.

Source: GhanaPlus.com